A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS
Chapter Fourteen The drive home was fairly quiet with most of the children asleep in their seats. Mandy sat by Rory and he rubbed her right arm while she cuddled up to him and slept. Michelle sat by the Doctor and River and she was also asleep. Only Brittany remained awake but she was quiet and thoughtful while she stared out the window beside her. River was awake but she observed the loving look on the Doctor's face when he watched Michelle and she smiled at that, wishing that they could have children of their own. She said nothing though and snuggled against the Doctor and relaxed as she closed her eyes and listened to the humming of the motor as the van drove them back to what she now considered their home away from home. She smiled when the Doctor gently kissed her forehead and took his hand, squeezing it while she rested her eyes. XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX When everyone got home and brought their gifts inside the house, Jim told the children to go ahead and go to their rooms for tonight so Santa could come and deliver the presents while Rex stood nearby and watched them. Rory was carrying Mandy in his arms since she never woke up and Lori went with him to her room so they could get her undressed and ready for bed. The Doctor hugged the other children good night. "Say hello to Santa," Tom said to him. "I will. You get some sleep and it'll be morning soon enough." "Mommy, we have to put out carrots and milk for Santa and the reindeer," Michelle said as she went past. "We will, honey, just go to sleep now," Lori said. She looked at the Doctor after the children went to their rooms. "Can you help us arrange the presents under the tree and set up?" Lori said softly. "We can and you can use the TARDIS. I'll show you how," the Doctor whispered back. XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX After they were sure the children were in their beds, Lori led everyone into their bedroom. They had a walk-in closet and the gifts for the children were hidden behind some boxes on the shelves above the clothes racks. They took everything down and carried it downstairs while Rex followed behind them. They put everything under the tree and when they were finished, the Doctor took Lori and Jim into the TARDIS while the others relaxed and watched TV. Rex followed the Doctor but stopped short of the TARDIS doors, sniffing and whining at the strange interior. "He can come inside if he wants, the TARDIS will keep him from wandering off," the Doctor said to Lori and Jim. They coaxed Rex inside and he followed everyone as they climbed the front steps to the console. They went up the second set of steps while the Doctor filled them in on what was happening. "I told you that the TARDIS was alive," the Doctor said to them while they walked down a corridor. "But the TARDIS is also female and she's sentient. She watches us and she can think and she can like or dislike people and she likes you so she'd be willing to do this for you. I'm taking you to my lab and I have a machine that can replicate material objects. Just tell the TARDIS what you need and describe it and she'll reproduce it for you." "Thank you, Doctor, for this," Lori said. "Not at all, I want the children to have a very happy Christmas," the Doctor replied. He showed them to the lab and showed them a large box like structure that was made of steel. It had a door in front along with a keypad and some buttons and switches beside it. He told them to talk to the TARDIS and tell them what to make and she would do it. For the next two hours, Lori and Jim commiserated and told the TARDIS what they needed and the TARDIS made it. Each time an object was made, the Doctor opened the door, retrieved it and put it on a table at the front of the lab. Rex followed him around and the Doctor pet him lovingly while they worked. XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO After they were finished, the Doctor asked the TARDIS to gift-wrap everything and send it to the front door. The Doctor got his companions and everyone carried out the gifts. Then the Doctor asked his TARDIS to bring up the gifts they had for the family and everyone carried those gift wrapped presents to the tree as well. They finally finished just before midnight and Jim and Lori wished everyone good night before they went up to bed with Rex for a well-deserved rest. The Doctor and his family went to their usual places and before long, everyone was asleep except for the Doctor. The tree was left plugged in and the Doctor watched it while he waited for the morning to come. Around two a.m., the Doctor's ears picked up a faint wheezing sound coming from the storage room. Figuring it was the Tenth Doctor, he carefully slid off the bed so he wouldn't wake River and headed to the door. But when he went in the storage room and turned on the light, he was shocked to see a TARDIS that was a shimmering silver police box instead of the traditional blue. He was mesmerized by the silver color for a moment before he snapped out of it. He watched as the door opened and someone wearing a long dark blue cloak stepped out. He had a cowl over his head and his face was obscured by a black mask but the Doctor knew it was himself from the quick mind probe. "Are you a future version of me?" the Doctor said. "Yes," the future Doctor said with a tenor voice and an estuary accent. "I have disguised myself since you're not meant to know my face yet." "Now why didn't I think of that when I saw my tenth self?" the Doctor said. "What do you want?" "I have brought a special gift for Michelle," the future Doctor said. "Oh? Still thinking of her after all these years then?" the Doctor said, amused. The Future Doctor chuckled. "She will be much more than just a friend, Doctor. So very much more," he said. The Doctor frowned at that but said nothing. The Future Doctor reached into the pocket of his black trousers and took out a gold medallion on a thick gold chain. He handed it to the Doctor and the Doctor looked at it. "It's her name in Gallifreyan," he said, pointing to the writing on the medallion. "Yes, I want her to have it. A gift from me," the Future Doctor said. "Okay, I'll give it to her then," the Doctor said, nodding. "But I have to ask. Is she going to travel with me then and be my companion?" "She will and be so much more than that," the Future Doctor said. "I can't say any more obviously but she and her family will become very important to you in future." They already are important to me." The Future Doctor nodded. "And now, I should go before someone sees me. Happy Christmas, Doctor." "Wait, why is the TARDIS silver now?" the Doctor said. The Future Doctor shrugged. "After thousands of years, she decided on a bit of a color change," he said. "Even she gets bored with the same old thing year after year." The Doctor nodded and the Future Doctor big him goodbye and stepped back into his TARDIS. The Doctor stood back, watched it disappear and examined the medallion before putting it in his pocket and turning to head back to the sofa.
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